We have all had experiences where we have gotten the error that our cell phone is temporarily out of service.
There are many instances that could contribute to why we are getting this error. Sometimes, the issue is technical.
And other times, the issue is non-technical. Meaning that sometimes this could contribute to typical human error and not always due to a technical issue with your device itself.
In this guide, you are about to discover why this issue occurs and the many things that can contribute to the issue happening. So, let’s dive right into it, shall we?
What Does Temporarily Out Of Service Mean?
Temporarily out of service means that your service isn’t working at the moment. This is either due to your phone provide having issues or you’re in an area with low coverage. It could also mean that there’s an issue with the person you’re trying to reach.
1. You Have Typed In The Incorrect Number
If you are typing in a number that you thought you remembered of an old friend from the past, but when you dial them and hear the message the number is “Temporarily Out Of Service” instead of your call going through, there is a chance you may have just typed in the wrong number.
The person you are trying to contact number may still be in service and totally working, but you have just typed it in the wrong way. With ten numbers having to be dialed, it is very easy to accidentally mix two of them or even just press a completely different number.
Double-check that you have typed everything in properly, including the area code. If you accidentally mess up the area code, it is the same as messing up their actual number, and you can hear the message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service”.
Once you have double-checked the number, if you find that you accidentally did miss type one of their numbers, or maybe even a couple of them, just call back the proper number.
If you are still hearing the message “Temporarily” when you are absolutely positive it is the right number that you are dialing, then you are hearing this message for a different reason.
We all have had instances where we have accidentally typed in the wrong number. And it is okay to admit when we have made an error.
So, before you have a fit and throw a tantrum, please don’t send an agitating message to their Facebook Messenger ranting about how you’re trying to call them.
It would be essential just to take your time to ensure that you are putting in the correct phone number as you are typing it in.
2. They Have Changed Carriers
There are varieties of different carriers out there, such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint, and so many others. Each carrier offers different prices and deals.
If you are trying to call someone and hear a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service”, this could be because the person you are trying to reach has decided to switch carriers.
Maybe a different carrier offered a free phone upgrade if they switched and they were desperately in need of a new phone.
Maybe they realized this other carry is way cheaper, or maybe they got a new job, and at this new place of employment, their phone plan is covered, so they had to switch.
Whatever the reason, just know you may be getting the message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service” because you are trying to call someone who has recently changed their carrier.
Changing carriers is something that is pretty common. Although this is something that can contribute to getting this error, it is unexpected for this occurrence to happen.
This means that when someone changes their carrier, not everyone in that person’s contact is going to be aware. As it turns out, the only time that you are aware of this instance is if you attempt to call the person and you receive the ” Temporarily Out Of Service”.
3. They Did Not Pay Their Bill
We know how pricy phone bills can become but how important paying them is to stay in contact through your phone. These bills seem just to get more and more expensive every single month, and it can be hard to make the payment sometimes.
If you are calling someone and hearing a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service”, it could be because the person you are trying to reach did not pay their bill.
There are various reasons why someone may not have paid their bills, such as they were unable to afford it, they simply forgot, they did not see the charge and various others.
However, phone companies can be pretty brutal, and if they have not received payments even just the day after payment was due, this can result in whoever has the unpaid bill’s phone being completely cut off from service.
If you have a smartphone and you do not pay your bill, you will still be able to utilize certain features, but anything that directly requires your phone company, such as calling and texting, will no longer be in service until the bill is paid.
While you can still play games, go on social media, and do anything else that does not require your phone to have service, any calls that are made to someone with an unpaid bill will result in the caller hearing a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service”.
Just as it is important for the person you are trying to call to keep it with their bill, it is essential for you to do the same to avoid others getting the “Temporarily Out Of Service” error when they attempt to call you.
4. They Have Changed Their Number
Another reason as to why you are getting a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service” when you are trying to call someone is because they have decided to change their number.
If they have changed their number and no one has started to use their old number, that means the number has no provider or person attached to it, so the number will no longer be in service.
You can try to reach out in other ways to the person you were trying to call. Maybe you can message them on some sort of social media website, or if you know them in person, go and ask them directly what their new number is.
Until you are able to get their new number or someone decides to use that number as theirs, you will be met with the message saying “This Number is No Longer in Service” every time you try to call that number.
Just as it is unexpected for someone to change that carrier, it is also unexpected for someone to change that number.
And as it will be stated earlier, for the carrier accusation, when someone changes their number, not everyone in that person’s contact will be aware.
The only time that you would be aware is if you attempt to make a phone call and you receive the “Temporarily Out Of Service” error.
5. Their Phone is Temporarily Disconnected
You may also be getting the message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service” when you try to call someone instead of actually being able to call them because their phone is temporarily disconnected.
Again, there could be a lot of potential reasoning behind why someone has their phone temporarily disconnected.
If you are trying to reach your best friend, maybe they got grounded for something, so their parents took away their lifeline and decided the best possible punishment was to disconnect their phone until they learned their lesson temporarily.
Or maybe you are trying to call a buddy who had your favorite recipe written down, and you lost the card, but they decided they were too addicted to their phone, so temporarily disconnected it so that they could cleanse their soul from being so heavily consumed by technology.
There are various reasons why someone has decided to disconnect their phone temporarily, but you will continue to hear the message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service” until they choose to connect their phone again.
Sometimes, when someone’s device is disconnected, there could be an issue with their Network settings. This is a typical common occurrence that takes place with Android and iPhone / iOS devices.
If someone has turned off their network settings, they will not be able to receive phone calls.
And sometimes, the issue can happen unexpectedly. However the issue may precede itself, it is essential to consider that network settings can play a part and why their devices disconnected.
6. They Have Spoofed Their Number, So When You Call Them, It Doesn’t Work
Someone might just be pulling a quick prank, or maybe even no longer wants you to contact them if you are met with the message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service” when you try to call someone.
One potential explanation as to why you are receiving this message instead of being able to call them is that they have spoofed their number so that when you call them, you are meant to believe their number is no longer in service.
This person could have virtually any motive for doing this. Maybe they think it is funny and are just trying to pull a quick prank before they unspoof your number. Maybe they actually no longer wanted you to call them and decided to block you.
Maybe they accidentally mixed up numbers and thought your number was a scammer, so decided to spoof your number on accident to avoid any more unwanted scam calls.
Whatever the reason, the only way for your call to go through and for you to stop getting a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service” when you try to call them is for them to un-spoof your number.
Playing a good cell phone prank is something that is common among a lot of people who use technology.
Once you learn how to manipulate certain settings on your device, you would want to take advantage of it to disguise your phone number possibly.
Also, as it was stated earlier, sometimes, it is essential to consider the fact that it’s not always a prank based on why they spoofed their phone number. It may be a mechanism that is used to prevent you from calling them rather than them blocking you.
And to add, sometimes, they have spoofed their phone number to prevent other contacts from calling them. And there may be a possibility they forgot to forewarn you about the number being spoofed. Just a couple of things to consider if you encounter this error.
7. Their SIM Is Not Functioning Correctly
If you are trying to call someone and instead of hearing a dialing tone, you hear a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service,” it could be because their SIM card is broken or not functioning properly.
A SIM card is located on every phone, and it is a very tiny chip that is inserted into the phone when it is bought.
SIM cards are provided by each phone service company, so if you were to switch up carriers, you would get a new SIM card and be responsible for phones having service and being able to have a network connection.
If there has been damage to a SIM card or it is completely broken, their phone will have no connection to their network, so it will be impossible to contact them.
Once the phone owner is able to purchase a new SIM card and get it inserted or fix any damage to their current SIM card, you can try calling them again, and this time your call should go through instead of resulting in the “Temporarily Out Of Service” message being played instead.
If you or someone you are connected with has encountered this issue with their SIM card not operating properly, and you or others have been getting the “Temporarily Out Of Service” error, it is essential to take a visit to the store of your local phone carrier to have the issue investigated.
8. They Have Set Their Number Up, So They Do Not Receive Incoming Calls
When you are calling someone and you are met with a message on your phone saying “Temporarily Out Of Service”, there is a possibility that you are hearing this because they have set their number up, so they do not receive any incoming calls for the time being.
There are different reasons why someone would do this to their phones as well as lots of durations that this setting may be set for.
For example, someone may have this setting on for a week or two because they have left their home country for a nice vacation and do not want phone calls coming in constantly, nor do they want to get charged a fee for being out of the country and needing phone service.
Or maybe, you are trying to call a fellow college student for some homework assistance and, when you call them, receive a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service”.
The other student may have disabled incoming phone calls for a couple of hours so they can study distraction-free.
There are a vast number of reasons why someone may want their phone disabled from receiving any incoming calls, so know this can be a cause for why you are hearing that their number is out of service.
To add to this information, there are many people who use the Do Not Disturb setting on their devices.
Sometimes, when some people use the Do Not Disturb option on their phone, they most likely will not hear the “Temporarily Out Of Service” error. But then again, it is possible that you may receive that error. So be watchful.
9. Poor Network Reception
If you are trying to call someone and instead of your phone dialing them, you hear a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service” over your speakers, it may be because the person you are trying to reach is in an area with poor network reception.
Anyone who lives in small, rural areas understands this struggle all too well. Phone towers are heavily placed in areas of high population, but not so much in areas where only one family takes up five hundred acres for themselves.
If you are trying to reach someone who lives in these areas, the lack of phone towers makes it incredibly hard to have fast and reliable network reception.
You may also be trying to contact someone who just happens to be driving through or visiting one of these areas with very limited phone service.
If they are located in these spots with sparse cell phone towers, you run a high chance of hearing “Temporarily Out Of Service” when you try to call them.
You can wait for them to leave the area or drive through it until you call them next.
If you keep trying to contact them constantly when they are in these areas of limited service, your calls will all drop, and you will continue to be told that “This Number is No Longer in Service” until the person you are trying to reach has moved to an area with better network service.
The network reception is what allows people to make and receive phone calls. For you or anyone that is experiencing this error, and people are getting the “Temporarily Out Of Service” error, you may want to attempt to reset your network settings.
To reset your network settings on an Android device, you will proceed with these steps:
1. First, you will open the Settings app on your Android device.
2. Next, tap on the General Management or System tab.
3. Now, proceed to select Reset or Reset Options.
4. From here, you will tap on Reset Network Settings.
5. Finally, you will have access to the reset button. Tap on Reset to begin the process.
To begin the process of resetting the network settings on an iPhone / iOS device, you will proceed with the following steps:
1. First, you will open your Settings.
2. Next, tap on General and then select Transfer or Reset.
3. Tap on the Reset option and then tap on Reset Network Settings.
Does ‘Your Call Cannot Be Completed At This Time” Mean You’ve Been Blocked?
You may be thinking that if you are trying to call someone and when you call them, you are met with a message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service,” you have been blocked by that person.
While there is a real possibility that you, in fact, have been blocked by them, that is not the only answer. There are tons of different reasons why this message is playing.
Maybe the person you are trying to call has changed their number, changed their carrier, is in an area with a poor network connection, forgot to pay their bill, have certain settings activated so they do not receive any calls, or their SIM card is broken, you typed their number in the wrong, or maybe their phone is just temporarily disconnected.
All of these possibilities are a great explanation as to why you are hearing the message saying “Temporarily Out Of Service” when you try to call them, but remember, you could potentially also be blocked.
If you want to know if you’ve been blocked, check how many times the call rings when you call them.
You can also try texting them. If your message goes through right away, this means you are not blocked, and there is just something wrong or disabled with their phone calls right now.
However, if your message does not go through and still has not after a couple of days, this could be caused by other things, but could also be due to you being blocked by the person you are trying to contact.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, although you may experience the temporary out-of-service error on your device, you now understand there are instances that can contribute to getting this error. As it was stated, sometimes the issue is technical, and sometimes, the issue is non-technical.
Some of the human error contributions are as follows; you may have typed in the incorrect phone number, they have changed carriers, they did not pay their bill, they have changed their number, their phone is temporarily disconnected, or they have spoofed their number.
And as for technical issues, those are as follows; the SIM card isn’t cooperating, they have set their device so they are not able to receive incoming calls, or there’s a poor network connection.
And sometimes, if you have done enough digging, you may even find out that you have been blocked by the user.
So, as you find your way through these alternatives and steps, there are some things that would force you to come to a conclusion about people you were in constant contact with before.